The final installment of spring practice played out Thursday night inside the comfort of the McClain Center. With the Spring Game Saturday, the UW football team practiced in only shoulder pads. “We were hoping to get outside tonight, but obviously the weather didn’t cooperate,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “This was our last practice inside.”

Injury report

Senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas returned to practice after suffering an ankle sprain early in the spring. He participated in individual and pre-practice drills before sitting out during the more physical drills.

“It kind of hurt watching, but it definitely felt good to be out in the mix and get [a] limited number of plays,” Casillas said following practice. “[The ankle] is cool. They just didn’t want me to do anything with contact cause it’s still not 100 percent right now.”

Freshman wide receiver Nick Toon suffered a leg injury early in spring practice, but has inched toward a full recovery, dressing in pads for the past few practices. However, whether either player plays in the upcoming Spring Game will be a game-time decision.

“If they go Saturday, it kind of depends on how they feel tomorrow,” Bielema said.

Spring Game details

To start the second and fourth quarters, Bielema described an opportunity for the kicking game to add points to the scoreboard. Kickers will be split up into two different units and proceed with a rapid-fire kicking session where each kicker gets the chance to kick four field goals. Each made field goal will add a point to the final score.

Throughout spring practice, freshman Philip Welch, junior Matt Fischer and freshman Aaron Ehlers have been battling for the starting nod. Bielema explained that kicking in front of a crowd would be great for each kicker.

“The bigger crowd we get, it will help us,” he said. “The first time one of those guys kick either a PAT or a field goal, whatever it is next year, is not the first time they are kicking in front of a crowd.”

Due to a bevy of injuries that have stacked up throughout the spring, a different format may be needed on either side of the ball.

“If we lose anybody from the defensive line or maybe one more offensive lineman, we’ll probably go a certain number of series,” Bielema said. “It might just be a half-line skele, or skeleton, where only half of the offensive and defensive line are in on a given play.”

Play of the Day

Near the conclusion of practice, while scrimmaging 11-on-11, junior wide receiver T.J. Theus caught a deep ball from sophomore quarterback Scott Tolzien. On what looked like a “go” route, Theus beat his defender and made a fingertip grab after fully diving for the pass.